Scotland on the way to legalizing gay marriage in civil & religious ceremonies

Opposition has come from religious institutions:

The Roman Catholic church, backed by senior Muslim organisations and evangelical and presbyterian churches, organised a huge postcard and internet petition campaign against the proposals.

It has been overwhelmed by popular support:

...detailed responses using the Scottish government's own online consultation document showed a majority in favour of gay marriage: by 65% to 35% against. Major public opinion polls also showed that most Scottish voters supported same-sex marriage, with about two-thirds of Scots in favour.

So it is expected to pass, and not as an isolated phonomenon:

he measures are expected to be passed by Holyrood next year before similar but weaker measures in England and Wales, to allow same-sex marriages in registry offices, are put before Westminster.

Church-led opposition continues but BBC reports:

Scotland could become the first part of the UK to introduce gay marriage after the SNP government announced plans to make the change.

Ministers confirmed they would bring forward a bill on the issue, indicating the earliest ceremonies could take place by the start of 2015.

Three more California Presbyterian churches leave PC(USA)

Three California San Joaquin Valley area Presbyterian churches finalized their split from the 2.3-million member Presbyterian Church (USA) yesterday and are part of a steady trickle to the smaller, far more conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

The issues are convoluted and of late have to do with the shift of the PC(USA) toward acceptance of homosexual members.

Read the entire story here.

More prayer/less politicking wins at Coral Ridge Presbyterian

Tullian Tchividjian, grandson of Billy Graham turned Ft. Lauderdale’s Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church away from its hyper-political, right-wing activist heritage.

With predictable pushback. Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy -- daughter of Tchividjian predecessor and culture warrior D. James Kennedy -- and other unhappy parishioners tried to have Tchividjian removed.

They failed, the Miami Herald reported Sunday:

Tchividjian was named senior pastor of the Fort Lauderdale mega-church six months ago. He has come under scrutiny ever since he vowed to the set the church on a different path from that charted by his predecessor, D. James Kennedy, who built Coral Ridge into a religious and political powerhouse on a bedrock of Christian conservatism.
Church members cast ballots at a closed 11 a.m. meeting, and backed Tchividjian by a vote of 940-422, a margin of about 69 percent to 31 percent.
Tchividjian, 37, doesn't preach politics.

Tchividjian is one of the new generation of spiritual leaders who are in step with the Pew Forum’s August 2008, survey, which found that 52 percent of Americans agreed that houses of worship should keep out of politics.

Presbyterian Church(USA), Peru, CNN & pollution

For 10 years, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission workers in Peru have worked with the people of La Oroya, which Doe Run Co. heavy-metal operations have made one of the ten most polluted cities in the world.

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission worker Jacob Goad (right) describes the environmental and health effects of the Doe Run smelter operation (in the background) to CNN, which is producing a documentary on the church’s work in La Oroya. Photo courtesy of CNN

Emily Enders Odom of the Presbyterian News Service writes:

In this city of 35,000 people, more than 95% of the children have elevated levels of lead in their bodies which can cause mental retardation, kidney problems and stunted growth.

“This tragedy,” said Sara Lisherness, Director of the Compassion, Peace and Justice Ministry area of the General Assembly Council (GAC) of the PC(USA), “is the result of American company Doe Run, operator of one of the largest smelters in the southern hemisphere, dumping over two million pounds of toxic emissions, such as lead, over the city each day.”

CNN is to air a report on the city Thursday, Dec. 11 as part of its Planet in Peril series.